Regulation
SRA shuts down 16-office law firm consolidator
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has today shut down a 16-office law firm consolidator with 180 staff across the country. It is highly unusual for the regulator to intervene in such a large practice.
Bar students hit by technical failures in first online test
A “small number” of Bar students were affected by technical issues that prevented them from completing their first online exam, the BSB said yesterday amid a stream of complaints.
MPs urge action on lawyers who facilitate “aggressive tax avoidance”
The lawyers and others who devise and market ineffective tax avoidance schemes are often breaking the law and a few legislative tweaks will make it easier to prosecute them, MPs have claimed.
Chambers giving notice on leases in wake of Covid
Barristers may be keen to get back to work but they are not going back to chambers, and nearly a third of sets have given or are considering giving partial notice on their leases.
Accountancy body withdraws from legal services regulation
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants has decided to withdraw from legal services regulation and contract it out to CILEx Regulation, in the first move of its kind.
Top judge slates firm over trial live-stream breach
The president of the Queen’s Bench Division has strongly criticised lawyers at US firm McDermott Will & Emery after they allowed a trial to be live-streamed to observers without the court’s permission.
Legal executive banned for forging client’s signature
A highly experienced chartered legal executive who forged her client’s signature after forgetting to ask the client to sign a consent order has been banned from working for law firms.
Law Society announces another multi-million pound deficit
The Law Society recorded an operating loss of £5.5m on its representative work for solicitors in the last financial year, its annual report has shown. It was part of an overall deficit of £9.3m.
SRA imposes ban on trainee solicitor jailed for rape
A one-time trainee solicitor who violently raped one woman and attempted to rape another has been banned from the profession. His sentence was increased to 16 years in May.
PI lawyer used disbursement cash to prop up firm
The owner of a personal injury firm has been struck off after retaining nearly £500,000 in disbursements to keep his firm afloat after it was badly hit by the LASPO reforms.
Blog
Legal director: an alternative to partnership
Firms are increasingly acknowledging the need for alternative senior roles – positions that offer influence and recognition without the obligations of ownership.
It’s time for law firms to ask tougher questions
For years, many law firms have treated ID verification as a box-ticking exercise. Run a liveness check, match a face to a document and move on. But that is no longer good enough.
Business fatigue to AI will risk job security
Whilst we know professional learning has always been part of career paths, to hire, retain and keep talent, AI needs to be embedded as a core part of this training.
